AN inquiry has begun into why the number of Wiltshire schools with problems is increasing.

County councillors have asked chief education officer Bob Wolfson to produce a report for a meeting on October 26.

They are concerned that the number of schools in the county said to have serious weaknesses has been growing.

Members of the new education and social services' scrutiny committee want to know what remedial action is being taken.

The committee also considered the county education development plan and discussed the amount of paperwork which has to be completed by schools.

Members also called for a report from Mr Wolfson on steps being taken to improve information and communication technology teaching.

John Palmer, the head of the county's school improvement and support department, said one of the main reasons is a change in legislation which has raised the criteria.

But he said Wiltshire schools are still performing much better than the national average.

Once schools reach the stage where they are judged to have problems, they and the education authority have to draw up an action plan.

But Melanie Oliver, the county's social inclusion manager, said secondary schools have been very successful in dealing with problem pupils.

The number of excluded students at secondary level has fallen from 108 to 47, which is well ahead of the benchmark figure set for 2002.